This invention relates to a method of operating a network to cooperatively identify and access resources distributed amongst neighbor stations in connectivity with one another, in order to enable readily available resources on the network to be efficiently directed to users requiring access to the resources.
For the purposes of this specification, such a network will be referred to as an Opportunity Driven Multiple Access (ODMA) network of the general kind described in International patent applications nos. WO 96/19887 and WO 98/56140.
It is an object of the invention to provide a mechanism in which user stations on a network may source relevant information, and benefit from any underutilized resources available, from the other stations on the network by virtue of the distributed nature of the network topology. The mechanism provided exploits the inherent neighbor gathering techniques that are utilized in the ODMA network communication processes.